Mobile technologies have in the recent years become important devices for the delivery of teaching and learning in most parts of the world. In developing countries, mobile telephony is already having major impacts on many economic and social activities including commerce, banking and education. This chapter shares the innovation of using mobile phones in implementing professional development programs and findings from m-Learning study both implemented in a university in East Africa. Mobile phones are used at the university primarily to support the action research practicum component through the implementation of a Short Message Service (SMS) in leadership preparation programs. The research on the other hand sought to establish the possibilities and constraints of m-Learning by understanding the experiences of participants in one such course for educational leaders. The emergent outcomes found m-Learning (1) improved collaboration amongst course participants and between the course facilitators; (2) provided support to learners during the course; (3) was cost effective means; and (4) stimulated interest in use of ICT among the participants. Further, it suggests that effective utilization of mobile technology in post secondary education requires institutions to address issues of: (1) the cost of mobile services, (2) failure of SMS transmission across different mobile phone networks, (3) consideration of participants familiarity with texting; and (4) evolution of a SMS language for common understanding of contextual messages among participants.
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Onguko
Brown
Gachungi
Ngatia
Crichton
Susan
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Mobile Learning
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Mobile learning: Small technologies – Massive Contributions
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Abstract
Mobile technologies have in the recent years become important devices for the delivery of teaching and learning in most parts of the world. In developing countries, mobile telephony is already having major impacts on many economic and social activities including commerce, banking and education. This chapter shares the innovation of using mobile phones in implementing professional development programs and findings from m-Learning study both implemented in a university in East Africa. Mobile phones are used at the university primarily to support the action research practicum component through the implementation of a Short Message Service (SMS) in leadership preparation programs. The research on the other hand sought to establish the possibilities and constraints of m-Learning by understanding the experiences of participants in one such course for educational leaders. The emergent outcomes found m-Learning (1) improved collaboration amongst course participants and between the course facilitators; (2) provided support to learners during the course; (3) was cost effective means; and (4) stimulated interest in use of ICT among the participants. Further, it suggests that effective utilization of mobile technology in post secondary education requires institutions to address issues of: (1) the cost of mobile services, (2) failure of SMS transmission across different mobile phone networks, (3) consideration of participants familiarity with texting; and (4) evolution of a SMS language for common understanding of contextual messages among participants.
Contributors
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Created: Sep 14, 2009 9:55 am
Last revised by: ndale1 on: Oct 2, 2009 8:10 am (UTC)
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